What is governance?

Governance is the processes of interaction and decision-making among stakeholders involved in a collective problem or community that lead to the creation, reinforcement, or reproduction of norms and institutions. In other words, it can be thought of as the political processes that exist in and between institutions. Often, when we think of governance, we think of leaders making decisions and passing down orders and decrees, but

Shared governance is a cornerstone of the university's operational and decision-making philosophy. Board of Regents Policy P03.01.010. Faculty, Staff, and Student Governance states that "the opportunity for faculty, staff and students to participate in the governance of the university is important to its effective operation." The policy goes on to state:

D. Governance organizations shall carry out their functions subject to the authority of the board and the president and chancellors . The organizations' purposes are to:

1. provide an effective opportunity for university faculty, staff and students to play a meaningful role in matters affecting their welfare;

2. represent the viewpoints of university faculty, staff and students on regents’ policy, university regulation, and other matters affecting the interests of the university;

3. address through legislative action other matters as described in their approved constitutions;

4. advise the president and chancellors in a timely fashion and in a manner set forth in individual organizational constitutions; and

5. communicate to faculty, staff and students information which is of interest and concern to the university.

Here at UAF, the Chancellor and other administrators formally engage the UAF community in shared decision-making through Faculty Senate, Staff Council and ASUAF. Furthermore, many university committees and task forces are made up of faculty, staff and students. Often, ASUAF is called upon to appoint students to these committees and task forces.

ASUAF employs governance agreements to establish and define relationships with boards or programs that ASUAF has some kind of governing relationship with.

Office of Sustainability and R.I.S.E. Board

Students have elected to charge themselves a student sustainability fee to fund programs and services that intend to make UAF more environmentally friendly. The Review of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Energy Board (R.I.S.E. Board) is primarily responsible for overseeing the use of funds collected through the student sustainability fee. This fee funds the programs of the Office of Sustainability as well as student-initiated projects that promote sustainability, energy efficiency and renewable energy at UAF.

Some of the programs and services that the Office of Sustainability provides are:

• UAF Recycling

• Green Bikes

• Nanook Grown

• The UAF FreeStore

You can learn more about the R.I.S.E. Board's powers and duties through the governance agreement.

ASUAF Trust Fund Board of Directors

The ASUAF Trust Fund was created decades ago when the Board of Regents forced the Associated Students of the University of Alaska to sell assets owned by the association. At the time, ASUA was an incorporated entity, separate from the university. Proceeds from the sale of these assets was placed into a trust fund and the ASUAF Trust Fund Board of Directors was created to manage these funds.

The trust is intended to:

• Support extra-curricular and co-curricular programs

• Develop programs beneficial to the student body

• Promote the common interests of the University and the Fairbanks community through student efforts

• Provide students with realistic financial and administrative experience through the administration of this Trust

• Support the ASUAF student government and its programs.

The full ASUAF Trust Fund Board Agreement further outlines board responsibilities and membership.